Seeking Go Big Read Book Suggestions Once More

Here we are again. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were scanning “Best of 2015” book lists, reviewing community suggestions, shuffling through book reviews, and sifting through various paperbacks at breakneck reading speeds all in hopes of finding the next Go Big Read book. Through all this arduous research and reading, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond was ultimately selected for the 2016-2017 Go Big Read text, in hopes of connecting the UW-Madison community through a thought-provoking read backed by campus-wide programming and curricular integration. We watched Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Bucky Badger hand out copies of Evicted at Convocation in September to bright-eyed freshman; we witnessed 220 classes read and discuss the book; and we met Desmond in-person on his November 1st campus visit.

However, even though we still have an entire spring semester of celebrating and reading Evicted, which was recently named on the New York Times‘ and Washington Post‘s Best Books of 2016 lists, it’s time to start thinking about the future again.

We now need to select the 2017-2018 Go Big Read text and we need your help. We ask for your suggestions, recommendations, and support as we go through the latest review process, because at the end of the day this is a common read program—it’s driven and supported by the greater UW-Madison community, and therefore, your input is integral to the program’s success.

This year we are looking for a book on a contemporary theme that lends itself to discussion. Considering all that is going on in the world today, there are so many important issues to discuss and cover. A broad-reaching theme for the 2017-2018 text is key to hearing from all the subjects of importance.

If you have a text in mind or want to read about the criteria we use in selecting a book, you can learn more here. If you are ready to suggest a book, please submit your nomination using this form. We will be accepting suggestions until January 22, 2017.

We want to hear from you and we can’t wait to see what you recommend!

Morgan Olsen

Go Big Read Student Assistant 

Cover photo: Photo by Bryce Richter / UW-Madison